Sundered- Chapter two

A few days later Damian once again settled against the warm brick of a building. A block off of the busy street of Broadway he leaned against the backside of a grocery store and faced the residential neighborhood. There was still a crowd coming and going here though it was thinner. His phone rang off and on as his family tried to reach him. His absence had been noted. He couldn’t stomach condemning them to a wasting death though, so he maintained his silence. Normally one of them could disappear for a few days and not cause a stir, but Dae could feel the panic starting to rise from his family based on the number of calls. They must have picked up more clues than I thought since they aren’t giving me any leeway. He pulled a pastry out of the bag he held, biting into it with a moan. He needed food almost constantly now. After scarfing two, he slowed down a bit and worked on bringing some control to his energy harvest. He couldn’t spend time in a crowd like Decadence anymore. He’d cause another orgy from his lack of control, and it wasn’t just his family he needed to avoid now. Any Kelusis would recognize the signs, and that would bring the enforcers—followed by the Chirurgeons—down on him. The energy from the pedestrians on the streets posed plenty of difficulty for his control as it was. He worked to hold himself in check. It was hard not to mentally push too much in an effort to highten the level, because what little emotion he could passively draw in from the pedestrians sizzled on his ground. He pulled the next éclair out then froze before he could take a bite—the most tantalizing energy he’d ever felt wafted across his senses, and it wasn’t something he’d pulled into being. Starvation forgotten, his head snapped up and he scanned the area. Plenty of people walked the neighborhood, but only one drew his senses. A woman meandered her way along the sidewalk across the street, grocery bag slung over her shoulder. Luscious curves filled out her denim shorts and simple T-shirt. The light breeze played with the feathery ends of her short hair, giving mouthwatering glimpses of her ivory neck. She reminded him of a little bird, the way she would pause and tip her head to study a flower or something in a garden before moving on. His feet moved of their own accord, but he decided he agreed with them. Her energy was like a leash straight to his groin.And strangely it didn’t feel like steam exploding against his sand. It felt like a gentle rain, a healing balm on scorched skin. He followed in her wake, but it wasn’t good enough. When he passed near a shady shrub, he used some of the energy flowing into his ground and bent the light around himself, becoming invisible. Now he picked up his pace until he fell into silent step right behind her. Her energy was almost intoxicating, and her scent filled his nose. She whipped a look over her shoulder that nearly made him jump, but the warm chocolate of her eyes stared through him exactly as they should. Still, her pace increased. He scanned ahead and a plan formed. Stepping off the sidewalk he gave her some room and jogged before her to round the corner. He let the light slip away from his grasp and moved into position. He pretended to turn his gaze to the ground and started back around the corner just as she turned. They collided. Her soft body molded to his in the briefest of contacts before she bounced back in a flailing stumble. The cloth bottom of her shopping sack split and her groceries tumbled to the pavement as her arms pin-wheeled. A squeak passed her lips as he snagged her before she completed her fall and joined her items on the ground. Her eyes rounded in surprise. His own brand of shock coursed through him and he gulped in a breath. The physical contact turned the sufficiently intriguing stream of energy he pulled in from her into a wild torrent. Body surfing along, he had no intention of looking for shore any time soon.

*****Alexis stared into the gold and green sparkles of the most beautiful eyes she'd ever seen. Hazel, her mind finally supplied the right word. The warmth of his hands on her bare arms made a potent reminder of the split second she had pressed flush against his hard body. The contact would remain indelibly imprinted on her, she was sure. His fingers pulled away, reluctantly it seemed, when she steadied on her feet. “Here, let me help you.” The soft huskiness of his voice held a hint of elsewhere. An accent she couldn’t place. Then what he said penetrated. “My groceries!” she yelped and started to lunge after the apples that had rolled into the street, but a hand yanked her back to the safety of the sidewalk. “Not worth it. They’ll be bruised anyway.” He slid a crushed green pepper to the verge of the sidewalk with his foot. “And it doesn’t look like any of the rest is salvageable either.” She stared at the splatter of fresh tomatoes and the torn open bag of pasta, the shattered jar of sauce. Egg seeped out of the side of the cardboard carton where it lay on its side. She pressed her face into her hands. This just hadn’t been her day. “I’m really sorry, Miss…?” Lexi dropped her hands and looked back into his beautiful eyes. She swallowed. “Alexis.” He smiled and held his hand out to her. Slowly she clasped his, warm strength enfolding her fingers, and she felt them tremble as butterflies launched in her stomach. “I’m Dae. I’m sorry about your groceries. Please let me make up for costing you your dinner? Charlie’s Grill is just around the corner.” She slipped her hand behind her back after she pulled away and bit her lip. He was right. Her meal now lay crushed all over the sidewalk. So not only would her dinner be late, but she was out the cost of the groceries and would need to buy them all over again. She sighed at the dent to her bank account. She had splurged to have a nice meal. I guess I’ll just go with more normal replacements. “Come on. Charlie’s is great.” She rubbed her palms against the denim of her shorts. Sparkles of friendly challenge radiated in his eyes and sent a weakness down her limbs that surprised her. “I do love Charlie’s…” His smile turned into a grin, and he brushed his palm down the skin of her arm to clasp her hand, then gave her a light tug. A shiver of awareness followed his touch and settled into a low ball of heat. She let him lead her back up to Broadway. More people filled the sidewalks on the busier street and she relaxed a little. She tried to think past the physical impact he had made on her and remember that he was a complete stranger, whether he felt like one or not. She cleared her throat. “So I’m assuming you live nearby?” The repetitive soft brush of his thumb across the inside of her wrist sent shivers over her skin. A smile lit his hazel eyes. “Yes, over by Volunteer Park. You? Have you lived in the region long?” Waves of sable hair brushed the collar of his rumpled white poet shirt. She already knew the hard muscles hidden by the flowing fabric. She blew her bangs out of her eyes. Careful, Lexi, he’s awfully smooth. Probably way out of your league.She pulled out of her thoughts and answered, “Almost six months. I came here for a job. Love the neighborhood, hate the job.” “I’m sorry to hear that. What do you do?” “Graphic design. What about you?” “My family and I have a house near the park. Erik is the executive of the family, but we all spend time in the family business.” “Which is?” She glanced at his left hand. No ring or obvious indent where one was taken off. A successful, cute hunk. Which means that he probably likes to play. She sighed. He didn’t get a chance to answer because they arrived at the door to the restaurant. He held it open and let her pass. The weight of his hand came to rest in the small of her back as they walked up to the podium. A waiter took them straight to a table that looked out onto the circus of Broadway as it came to life for the evening. She settled into the wingback chair and looked across the table at her companion. With his clothes, her whimsical mind had no difficulties picturing him sitting in a chair like that a couple of centuries ago. She smiled at the image then picked up the menu to hide it. It only took her a moment to decide on the Monte Cristo sandwich, since it was her favorite here. In an effort to divert her attention from her unexpected companion and hopefully get her nerves and body to settle down, she studied the large stained-glass starburst that dominated the ceiling of the dining room. Soft light illuminated the colored glass where it shone through. “I’d like to say I’m sorry I ran into you again, but then I’d be lying.” He laughed. “This is much better for my evening than I had planned.” She smiled back into his twinkling eyes. “A lonely dinner is what I had planned. I think I have to agree.” “So graphic design, huh?” His phone rang and he glanced at it, but then silenced it and set it on the table. “Yeah, not my most favored position, but at least I sort of get to use my artistic talents.” “Sort of?” He toyed with his water glass before he took a sip, his eyes never leaving hers. She took her own drink. “Mostly I get to touch up the other designers’ projects instead of doing any of the creating on my own. I shouldn’t let it bother me. It’s decent pay and really I prefer to paint anyway.” “Is that what you hope to do? Paint?” She sighed and looked at the table top, tracing circles in the drips from her glass. “I don’t know actually. I feel like I’ve been searching or waiting for something, but I have no idea what. I love to paint, but making a living at it is pretty difficult. It’s just a dream.” “Dreams are as existent as real life, you know.” She glanced up and got caught by his stare again, heat flushing through her. She took a hurried drink of her water. “So what do you do?” He cocked his head and it felt like his eyes could see right through her. And the funny thing was that she didn’t mind. Her thoughts had drifted enough that she missed the first words of his answer. “…dabble in this and that. Investments, you name it. Erik runs most of it. The rest of us do what he tells us to.” He chuckled. “So you live with family?” Feeling self-conscious for fishing, she wasn’t surprised by the corners of his lips twitching up and she felt her face heat. “Yes. I have three brothers and a sister. We all mostly get along, so none of us have moved away. The business does well for us all and keeps us busy.” “Sounds nice. My family is still working through their distress that I left the hometown.” She laughed. “I loved living in a small town, but I was missing something. They keep trying to get me to come home.” “Do you plan to?” “No. I don’t think so.” The waiter set a large appetizer down, and Dae started dishing plates up for both of them. Her breath escaped when his fingers brushed hers as he handed her the plate. Shocked at how much she was responding to his nearness, she fumbled the plate to the table top. When she looked up, his gaze caught hers knowingly. She quickly took a mouthful, then from under her lashes she watched him bite his lip to unsuccessfully suppress his grin. He settled deeper into his seat and ate steadily through the large appetizer he’d ordered for them. “You moved away from home?” he prompted. “Yes. This last winter.” “Winter? That’s when we returned too. We tend to travel and hadn’t been in Seattle for some time. It’s nice to be back.” “Where do you go? I’ve always wanted to travel.” His fingers brushed her hand on the table top, then he grasped it, lightly rubbing his thumb across again. “We were in France.”Strangely, she didn’t feel the urge to pull her hand away. “I bet that’s beautiful.” “It is, but there’s beauty everywhere.” Her insides quivered when she realized that he hadn’t taken his gaze off of her. “My family have always been homebodies. I have two sisters and a brother plus both of my parents there. My grandparents died when I was a kid, along with our family history.” Their dinners arrived and they settled in to eat. His phone buzzed a couple more times, but his attention stayed on her. The conversation bounced around and she realized how much she enjoyed his company. For the first time since she’d moved away from home so restlessly, she felt free. She passed up dessert, but he managed to consume a huge brownie with ice cream. She couldn’t imagine where he was packing all the food away to. He must have an incredible metabolism. And considering his beautiful body… she sighed. He settled up with the waiter then held out his hand to her. After helping her to her feet, he kept her hand in his and walked with her out onto the neon-lit sidewalk of busy Broadway. He ignored the chatter and press of bodies and steered them in a leisurely walk.It felt nice to stroll along with a companion for a change. The breath of warm night wind that circled through the streets caught her hair and she ducked her cheek to her shoulder to brush the short strands off her face. He tucked her hand into the crook of his arm and pulled her closer to his side. The silk of his shirt slid along the skin of her arm with each step. Eventually they passed a clock on the side of a building. “Ten, already?” He squeezed her arm to his side briefly then said, “Time to go home?” “I’m afraid so. I have to get up early for work.” “May I walk you to your apartment?” She was silent for a moment as they continued down the sidewalk. Eventually she made up her mind and said softly, “All right.” He squeezed her hand again then relaxed, allowing her to take the lead in their direction. She took the next street to the left and started them west. The lights of downtown Seattle occasionally peeped through between buildings as she led him toward her apartment. “I’m sorry you lost all of your groceries,” he said after a few minutes. “But I’m not sorry we ran into each other. This has been the best evening of my life.” She laughed nervously. “Oh come on. Of your life? I find that difficult to believe.” “No, really. I haven’t enjoyed another’s company like this in longer than I can remember.” His hand settled over hers in the crook of his arm, the soft brush of his thumb over her skin a definite distraction. “I don’t suppose you could call in sick tomorrow and spend the day with me?” Tempted, she thought about it for a moment but then shook her head. “I can’t. As much as I’d rather work somewhere else, I still need this job.” “What about after work?” She nodded and said slowly, “OK. I could meet you then.” She caught the flash of his grin. They exchanged phone numbers, then he said, “Tell you what, give me the address of your work and I’ll pick you up there. I’ll get to see you sooner that way.” “I need to change out of my office clothes.” “You could bring some with you.” If she did that, she wouldn’t have the half-hour walk up the hill home. “I can do that.” They had arrived at her building. She led the way up the steps and fished her keys out of her pocket. He didn’t seem inclined to let go of her arm, so she let him escort her to her floor, then turned to face him at her door. “Thank you. I had an enjoyable evening too,” she said softly. He tucked her hair over her ear, his fingers brushing the back of her neck, and she jumped at the zap, her stomach flip-flopping. He jerked his hand away and rubbed his fingertips. “Sorry, static,” he mumbled. Their gazes met and he smiled. “I look forward to seeing you tomorrow.” “Me too.” She turned and fumbled her key into the lock, barely cracking the door open to slip inside so he wouldn’t see the mess of her apartment. When she looked out the peephole, she met his hazel eyes and gasped because she could swear he knew she was looking at him. He smiled, then turned and walked down the hall. She spun and planted her back against her door. A grin slowly emerged. Giddy, with an exciting fire burning in her veins, she kicked off her shoes. She knew exactly what she needed to do. She shoved piles of belongings over in her small corner of living room, unearthing a canvas, then dug through totes until she found her brushes and paints. For the first time in months, she had to paint.

*****

Dae let the outer door of Alexis’s apartment building close behind him, then he turned to look up at the windows. The reaction he’d had when he’d touched the back of her neck to set the trace shocked him. The whole evening shocked him. The things her energy did to his body. It was like nothing he’d consumed in centuries. Setting a trace should have been an impersonal action. It should not have left him feeling needy and turned on. A trace allowed a Kelusis direct access to an individual human’s energy, granting them greater distance to harvest, but it also allowed them to mentally find the other end of the line when they went into Shadow. Is this another side effect of the fade? I haven’t heard of it as a symptom. Then again, setting a trace is against the law. He couldn’t see her, but he knew which set of windows were hers. He could feel her presence as if she pulled him. He crossed the street and started the walk to his car, which was only a few blocks away. Her energy still flowed into him, strong and pure. He let his mind wander over all they’d talked about and what they’d done. It had been nothing but the truth when he’d told her it was the best evening. She had no understanding what that meant to him. Since the start of the sundering, the Kelusis had been forbidden the sort of contact he had made with her tonight. They were allowed to hunt the descendants with more depth, but a full human was against the law. To direct a human's waking energy was acceptable, as long as they didn’t take it too far. Like the orgy he’d caused. The Sundered had to remain in the background. Never anything truly intimate. He wanted her. He hadn’t wanted like this in centuries. But having her was also against the law, and unfortunately the craving to stay near her was stronger than he could deny. So he’d set up a forbidden meeting with her anyway. He shook his head and stopped next to his car. It won’t be dangerous. I can hide her for a day or two and get as much energy as I can for the family. I can wipe her mind. Then I’ll be dead and no one will be able to find her. His ground had sucked up her emotion greedily, but even with the distance the trace gave him, the stream faded and the hunger pains—both physical and psychic—descended upon him. He got in his car and started it. Lowering the windows to let in the warm night air, he wove through the streets down to the marina where the family’s boat, the King’s Ransom, was docked on Lake Union. The bright lights of a late-night pizza takeout near his destination caught his eye, and he pulled in. A few minutes later he tossed four large boxes into the trunk and finished his drive to the boat. After parking, he got out, juggled his keys and the pizza boxes, then navigated his way down the gangplanks and docks to the slip his family’s boat was tied up at. I doubt they’ll think to look for me here, and it’s not like I have a bunch of options. I need more sleep than I’ll get in the cramped quarters of my car or on another park bench, as much as I’d like to stay closer to Lexi. I can’t rent a hotel room. Erik’s going to be looking for my charges by now. He hopped onto the boat and then got the door open to descend the steps into the cabin. A slice of pizza in one hand, he walked around turning on lights and adjusting the thermostat. He didn’t bother with the generator. The batteries would be plenty for the night. He plowed through one pizza while he sat in the galley with the gentle rocking of the boat. Even full he still felt hungry, but he slid out from behind the table. His body just couldn’t pull the nutrients out of the food anymore. He washed up, then turned most of the lights off and went to his bunk. They all kept a few items on the boat, so he’d be able to change his clothes in the morning after a shower. For now he just stripped and fell into bed and pulled the covers up. After several nights of not sleeping in a bed, the narrow bunk felt heavenly. The Kelusis needed sleep, just like humans. And just as humans needed to dream, so did the Kelusis, but for them it was different. They had to walk in Shadow or they grew sick. The Shadow world was just as real as the world of the light. Though the laws of nature were different. Humans visited Shadow every time they dreamed, but most held very little control over the nature of the world and remembered even less when they woke. Unlike the Kelusis. For them, time spent in either world was necessary and each was experienced and remembered. Dae’s body relaxed immediately, and he found himself in a featureless gray mist. He took a deep breath and let it out in relief. Tempted beyond measure to use the trace and hunt down Alexis, he resisted. He was too unsure of his control. He didn’t want to harm her, and that would be easier to do in dreams. The law against hunting humans in Shadow followed after the sundering, like so many others. A law he hadn’t been tempted to break in the thousands of years since it was made…until now. Turning away from the pull to find Alexis, he focused his thoughts and visualized the vineyard at the family’s seat in France. He always found peace and solace there. He let the energy unfurl and the gray mist swirled around him, but instead of finding himself on the road up to the manor house, he stood on the dense-packed dirt in front of the Alamede Posting House. Carriages rattled by and he hurriedly stepped to the edge of the dusty road on the brittle brown grass, taking in the dark timber beams of the inn, the stark whitewashed walls, and brilliant flowers in bloom in pots all over the flagged courtyard. He stared at the Kelusis gathering location in bemusement. This is not where I was going. Incubi and succubi thronged the place. Laughing, talking, gaming. The Kelusis had many gathering places in Shadow, places anchored by an individual or group, where the public could come and meet. For business or pleasure. The anchor kept the mist of Shadow formed and prevented too much disruption by the other minds who visited. Not that small shifts didn’t occur, of course. That was the nature of the dream realm. It was not linear like its reflection in the light. He didn’t have the energy to fight the currents and try to get to the Shadow equivalent of their home in France, so Dae walked up the flagged path and ducked inside the posting house. At least here he could sit, have a tankard of ale, and let the world of the Kelusis drift by. He would only have a few more days to reminisce. A few more days before he was gone. He found a stool at an empty table near the roaring fireplace. An antique transistor radio blared behind the long wooden bar, giving a play by play of a current athletic event. A bunch of Kelusis dressed in the colors of two different teams shouted good-naturedly at each other, while a small group garbed in Elizabethan finery tried to ignore them as they ate an authentic multicourse meal at a table on the other side of the room. His ale arrived and he smiled at the succubus who brought it. The sound of steel clashed from outside, and Dae saw several laughing incubi through a window start a bout in the courtyard. He took a drink, then stiffened as familiar energy wrapped him. The stool beside him scraped and his center settled onto it. “Where the hell have you been?” “Go away, Erik. You threw a line out and pulled me here, didn’t you?” “What did you expect? You haven’t come home. And we knew you’d have to walk soon. You feel like shit; you haven’t been sleeping or we would have found you sooner.” “Leave me be, Erik.” “You’re kidding, right? What the hell’s going on, Dae? We need you to come home. Now. Cass told you the other day that we were set to harvest so I could combine all the links’ energy and feed everyone.” “We’ve gone longer.” “So? It’s not like we have to. What is up with you?” “I’ll come home when I’m ready, Erik.” Erik’s hand settled on his shoulder and squeezed lightly. This let Dae feel the energy his center gathered just before he went to unleash it. “No!” he shouted and ducked out from under his eldest brother’s hand, spinning off the stool. He saw the worry flash across Erik’s blue eyes as he yanked the Shadow around himself and dissolved his location. Fear followed the worry as Erik’s face faded from Dae’s vision and he found himself back where he started, in the nebulous gray mist. Only a moment later he felt the tug, a tug that grew as another line, then another, and another added to it. The rest of his siblings were throwing in their weight with Erik, working to draw him back. If he let them succeed, combined they would be strong enough to contain him, then they’d be able to trace his physical location. He cut the ties with Shadow and dropped back into his own body, working to anchor his psyche to his physical form. He couldn’t chance dreamwalking anymore tonight. Not with the family out hunting for him. And he needed to sleep. He only had a few more days to harvest. Then the fade would be advanced enough that they couldn’t stop it and he could turn over one more full feeding to them before he died. He snuggled into the pillow and let his body relax again, willing it to sleep. The last thought he had was of Alexis.

*****

Dae wandered through the misty shadowscape. With each step he became more aware of his surroundings. The terrain flickered. One moment the mist concealed a wooded glade, the next possibly a sandy beach, or a mountainous vista, or a perfectly normal house. The more Shadow shifted, the more aware he became of his lack of control. Surprise surfaced next. Being an incubus, dreams were his forte. The fact that he was in Shadow again, after he thought he’d ensured he wouldn’t walk again tonight… Eventually the terrain settled into a beach. He strolled out of the mist onto warm sand. Sun caressed his skin. He looked down and found giant hibiscus flowers covering his swim trunks. He laughed. So not my style. The salty breeze ruffled through his hair and he kicked his feet in the sand while he walked, the shifting grains tickling his legs. He felt good and that surprised him. Carefree. Recent memory surfaced and he remembered that he was dying, but it couldn’t hold sway. He paused to stare out over the ocean. The waves pounded into the beach. The sensation of eyes traveling over him broke through the trance. He tipped his head to look over his shoulder. Alexis stepped out from the shadow of the trees. She paced across the sand in an unhurried saunter, a hungry gaze roving over him. I like how my mind thinks. She reached him and soft hands spread across his back, then traced over his shoulders and down his front. The tips of his nipples hardened under her palms as they slid by. Lips, hotter than the surrounding air, branded his shoulder blade and he groaned. A husky laugh sounded over the surf. He trapped her hands on his chest and turned in her arms to face her. Velvety sable eyes laughed up at him. Her hands started to dance up and down his spine, tracing every vertebrae. His gaze traveled over her full curves, and his mouth watered. It had been so long since he’d allowed himself the memory of touch. The orgy he incited the other night in Decadence had started a craving. He sent his hands skimming over her silky skin. Then he bent his head and nibbled a path from her shoulder up her neck to her ear. He soaked in the sound of her soft moan and sent his hand to cup the back of her head, then gently wrapped a fist in her hair and pulled her head to the side to gain better access. A shiver slid across her skin and he pulled her closer. His skin rubbed against a tantalizing combination of damp spandex and flesh. His other hand slid down to squeeze her rear and she pushed her hips into him, her hands still busy touching everywhere she could reach. His thoughts swam up out of the haze. I haven’t had a dream like this in… Then he noticed the shifting of power. The movement of emotional current that he controlled when he hunted flowed between them. Shocked, he pulled away. Power definitely soaked into his storeground. This isn’t possible. I can’t feed in my own dreams. Alexis took advantage of his preoccupation and started to nibble on his chest. Her tongue flicked out across a nipple and he gasped, his body responding beyond his control. Groaning, he pushed her back to arm's length. She’s here? Her energy most definitely flowed into his ground. The exquisite sensation shuddered through him. She’s really here? Or is this a product of my need? I know my body is on the boat. He wrestled for control—of himself, of the dream. “Wait. Alexis, slow down.” She frowned and backed up out of his reach. “Doesn’t it just figure?” she muttered and turned away, stomping across the sand, every luscious curve hugged and displayed by the spandex of her suit. He caught up to her in a couple of strides. “Doesn’t what figure?” She blew the feathery ends of her hair out of her eyes and glared at him. “Even in my dreams someone as hot as you doesn’t want me. I suppose my subconscious is just giving me the truth.” He grabbed her wrist and yanked her to a stop. Then he took her hand and pressed it hard against the steel that rested uncomfortably between his legs. “Does this seem like someone who doesn’t want you?” She gasped and tried to yank back, but he pressed into her hand more firmly, his other hand capturing the back of her head as he swooped in on her mouth. His tongue swiped across her lips, then dove inside. He kept her off balance, dueling with her tongue, nipping her lips, all the while rocking in her hand. His breath shuddering, he pulled back, then lightened his hold so her hand rested lightly on his erection. “Don’t insult me by jumping to conclusions. I just wanted to talk. It was moving too fast.” A dazed look on her face, she nodded. Her fingers twitched on his groin, then tentatively traced its length before she pulled away. He let her hand go on a suppressed groan. She whipped her hands behind her back once she regained possession of them but couldn’t stop her gaze from remaining riveted to where she’d been holding. He pressed his lips together to stop the smile; he doubted she knew how the movement presented her breasts to his eyes, a feast waiting to be unwrapped. He shaped his thoughts, and using some of the power swirling around them, formed what he needed out of the Shadow. With a soft smile, he waved his hand and directed her to the blanket he’d created in the shade a few feet away. She cocked her head and stared at it for a second in confusion but then shrugged and allowed him to lead her to the blanket. They sank down. He studied her face. Confusion and uncertainty chased across it. He understood how she felt. This was not how he had expected to spend his resting hours. Not after pulling away from his brother at the posting house. He thought he’d locked down his psyche so he wouldn’t walk and take the chance of his family finding him again. Apparently his desire to follow the trace and find her was stronger than he’d realized. But then the currents moved around him and he had another shock. This wasn’t his dream. He tested the mists and found that, yes, she was the anchor. Human. Yet she’d drawn him here like a seasoned succubus. And after he’d locked himself down.He stretched out on his side and laced his fingers with hers, his thumb rubbing across the back of her hand. “How did you get here?” he asked softly. She shook her head and stared out over the ocean, her chin resting on her knees. He slipped his thoughts out, assessing the situation. Testing the levels of control. The dream world was as solid and real to him as the physical, and he had centuries of experience. He slid control out of her grasp. That wasn’t difficult—he didn’t think she was actually aware of where she was or what she was doing. In effect she was sleepwalking, or dreamwalking, as the case may be. The big question on his mind was how. How is she doing this? She managed to pull me into the dream. And smoothly enough that I didn’t realize it wasn’t mine.She sighed, then answered the question he’d asked. “I’ve always wanted to come to a place like this. I’ve seen pictures, but I've never been.” He continued to caress her hand. “Why did you bring me here?” Her head jerked around to face him. “Bring you here? What are you talking about? You were just here…” He met her eyes. No, sweet, I definitely didn’t set this stage. “Well I did want to be here.” He raised her hand and moved his lips across her knuckles. She exhaled. “You are so cute. What harm is there in having a dream?” she whispered. “None.” Now that I know this isn’t only a dream. It’ll be much safer for both of us now. His tongue traced the peaks and hollows of her hand, then started to nibble past her wrist. He felt a shiver and her attention turned away from the horizon and back to him. Her energy pulsed like the surf into his ground. “I thought you wanted to talk? That I was moving too fast?” she breathed. “I’ve talked enough.” He drew her down onto her back and stretched his weight across her chest. He met her eyes. “It was the hardest thing to leave you after our date.” He lowered his face and his lips pressed against hers again. The soft surface shifted, the tip of her tongue sneaking out to wet his. He tipped his head and dove into the kiss. As her hands snaked into his hair, he groaned, and the pulse turned into a flood on his ground, making him dizzy. He moved from her mouth and sucked wet kisses down the column of her throat. Soft sounds punctuated his path and her hands branded his sides as they traveled south. The hard peaks of her nipples pressed into his chest through her swimsuit. Strengthened, his energy reared up and grabbed the threads of lust, slamming into her mind. His thoughts and images surged as her body bucked under his, with a drawn-out groan snapping him back to reality. I’ll hurt her. That’s why I didn’t want to hunt her in Shadow. He pulled his mouth away from her hot skin, but that didn’t stop hers. He shivered. She threatened to pull his tenuous control out of his grasp again. He tried to back out of her mind, but she held him firmly, her anchor in Shadow solid once more. Sleep, he coaxed, realizing that was his only choice to regain control. He let his mind coil around hers and lured her to sleep. Her movements slowed, then her lashes sank down to make dark crescents against her skin, and her body relaxed into sleep. Wishing he didn’t have to leave, he kissed her forehead, then willed himself home. His eyes opened to the dimness of the boat cabin, his body hot and unfulfilled. Even more unhappy—if that were possible—about his coming death, he squeezed his eyes shut to stop the tears he felt threatening and tried to go to sleep again.

*****

Erik ran his hand through his hair. His footsteps echoed loudly in the hall as he crossed the threshold, flanked by heavy oak doors. The council chamber occupied a huge open room in the old downtown building. The Kelusis had had the building built when the city was in its infancy. It housed a majority of the region’s government, royal suite, audience chambers, historical archives, headquarters for the enforcers, as well as ballrooms and housing for members of the royal court. Erik walked down the aisle through the spectator gallery filled with dozens of empty chairs. Well, mostly empty. Erik’s spine crawled from the enforcer’s gaze. He pretended to ignore Kar’s scrutiny as he joined the rest of the council milling around the large slab table that occupied the end of the room. Erik wasn’t pleased to see Kar sitting in the gallery. Or to have such undivided attention. He’d managed to avoid the other incubus for over a decade now—mostly thanks to his childhood friend’s understanding. A reminder of what he’d lost when he was sundered. But now he’d seen Karry twice in a month. The echo of the enforcer’s words the night Damian had started the orgy at Decadence bounced through Erik’s head, taking on new meaning with Dae’s fleeing. He could feel Kar’s gaze follow him up to his seat at the council table. As second chair, he pulled his place out next to Dante’s, the council head. Exhaustion pressed and his hand clenched the chair back. Losing Dae in Shadow last night had taken an emotional toll on the whole family. Damn you, Damian. Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing. How stupid do you think we are? Obviously too stupid, since he’d run. He thought back over the last few weeks and connected the dots. We’re stupid enough, since we didn’t see it sooner. The growing physical hunger, the secretiveness. The orgy, for stars’ sake. Preoccupied with his worries, he missed the start of the sentence Dante directed at him about the meeting’s schedule. “Sorry, what was that again?” Erik asked. The council head narrowed his eyes and said, “When’s the last time you and your family fed? You are not on top of your game here, Erik.” The question brought Damian’s flight front and center again, and his storeground protested its empty state, but Erik forced a smile, ignoring the piqued interest from Kar and the now worried looks the only other two Sundered on the council threw him. “When did you hunt last, Dante?” he returned, drawing attention to how rude the comment was. If it’s acceptable to ask a Sundered that in public, then you’d better bet I’ll turn it back on you. None of the other families are strong enough to stand up to the rest of the Kelusis. I wasn’t raised to back down to anybody. Dante tipped his head. “My apologies. I was just concerned. You seem preoccupied, and your energy feels scattered.” Erik shot a glance out of the corner of his eye at Kar. He didn’t talk to the council, did he? “Just a lot happening with the conclave coming up and getting ready for the decade court.” And the missing member of my family. Kar’s already pushing me to get Dae to the Chirurgeons. That conversation hadn’t gone as well as he could have hoped. The enforcer had almost taken Erik’s lust link in on his own. Damian’s total loss of control—to the point where he’d started an orgy—made it well within the enforcer’s right to do so. Only his loyalty to Erik had delayed that action. But Kar had insisted that Erik see to it as soon as possible. And there’s no way in whatever hell you believe in that I’ll let one of those butchers near my links. Unfortunately Erik was one of the only Kelusis, Sundered or not, who believed that. The Chirurgeons held a powerful place in their society. Psychic doctors to the long-lived Kelusis, they took care of the normal health and well-being of them all. But when the sundering had started, the doctors had quickly developed a special class. On one hand, they all had the Chirurgeons to thank for quickly figuring out how to alter their bodies to save as many individuals as they could. The death toll had been high in those first weeks. On the other hand, over the centuries Erik had come to question the true necessity of some of the yearly procedures the Sundered were subjected to. He questioned enough that he’d managed to secretly avoid having his family go through the cauterization procedure for about five years now. He didn’t need the Chirurgeons examining Dae too closely and figuring that out. He still held enough influence and loyalty among his society to accomplish that much at least. To protect his family. He pushed regret away and sank down into his chair, starting to lay out his paperwork. Who was he kidding? He retained more power and influence than he truly wanted. He should be grateful that the royal court allowed him as much peace as they did. He actually held a place on the council. The other Sundered with him were little more than a concession to give the illusion that the Sundered had a voice. Dante settled into the seat beside him, but Erik ignored the assessing glance. The council had a lot of work to do. Not only did they have the day-to-day tasks of their geographical region to attend to, but the yearly conclave was about to start—and just to add fuel to the fire, it was this district’s turn to host the decade court. Every ten years the Kelusis gathered in one of the world’s regions for the king to oversee issues that could not be settled by the councils for the various districts. The court traveled throughout the world continuously, but it was only during high court that certain grievances would be heard. The three months of high court were also when laws and other needs of government would be looked at and altered, and the gathering also served as an excuse for the high courtiers to hold all kinds of events. For the Sundered it was a particularly dreaded time. Forced attendance and much higher scrutiny caused the families pain.We aren’t like them anymore. Erik reshuffled a stack of his papers needlessly. The Sundered had had to adapt to survive. They no longer thought or felt quite the same way as before they were torn in half. The Kelusis have no idea the heartache they cause us, forcing us to be around full Kelusis again. Or the shame they inflict by treating us the way they do. Emotion swirled around him and Erik gritted his jaw. His storeground clenched at the reminder of how hungry he was, but he suffered the curse of having been altered to be a center. He could sense all the currents but had been completely cut off from them. He stood behind a glass pane and watched the world pass by in emotional strands of power that he could do nothing about. His control wavered and the power fluxed around him again, reluctantly drawing his gaze up. Kar met his eyes. His old friend lifted his brow. Erik cursed his astuteness. It was obvious to him that Kar was well aware of the puzzle pieces he was putting together. Hiding what he’d done with his family would be more difficult now. He had to track Damian down and get him home. Before the enforcers figured out he was on the loose.